


Acting

by bossy (orphan_account)



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003)
Genre: Closeted Character, Light Angst, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-15
Updated: 2014-10-15
Packaged: 2018-02-21 08:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2461157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/bossy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy thinks that Maes is going a little far in his efforts to hide their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Acting

**Author's Note:**

> Written 8/1/05. Originally published on LiveJournal.

If life is a play, then Roy thinks that Maes Hughes must be a pretty good actor. Roy can sense him checking his clock, even though they are miles away, and so he checks the clock, too. 11:15 AM, and there’s Lieutenant Hawkeye, right on the dot. 11:16, and the phone rings.

Hughes’ voice doesn’t seem practiced, but it’s his other voice, the different voice, loud and cheerful, gushing about his girlfriend. It’s an act, so Roy doesn’t have to listen. Hawkeye does, from across the room, and Roy is hit with the sudden urge to punch Maes.

“Maes! Shut up.”

“But she’s just so beautiful, Roy! You can’t imagine it! You should just see her new haircut, then I’m sure –”

The violent urge increases, and he slams the phone down into its cradle. He wants Maes back, his Maes, the one who never pretends.

Maes doesn’t reappear for a few days, and in between Roy watches the man who is masquerading as his friend with increasing disgust.

He tears up the picture of Maes’ girlfriend that he is given, and kisses Maes, right in the hallway, and that does it. Maes is back, the Maes he knows, who talks in a deep, echoey voice, who narrows his eyes, combs his hair nervously. This Maes smiles confidently, never grinning, keeping his voice always low, always quiet.

“Roy, I just don’t want them to find out about us. We’d both be kicked out, and then you’d never be Fuhrer.”

“You’re taking it a little far,” Roy says, in a strained voice, looking away from Maes. “How do I know you don’t really like her, Maes?”

Maes’ answer comes quickly and smoothly. “Because you of all people should know I’m not attracted to women.”

He smiles and kisses Roy, but it’s not an idiotic smile, so Roy lets him.

“You should think about getting a girlfriend, too, you know,” Maes says suddenly, winking, “You’re not being convincing enough. Find yourself a wife one of these days and they’ll believe you.”

The stranger who isn’t Maes looks at him, grinning again, and Roy hits him lightly on the head before walking off. Maybe it wasn’t as light as he would have liked it to be, Roy thinks later, but that can’t be helped. All he wants is for this act to be over.

Roy hopes that when he asks Havoc’s new girlfriend on a date, Maes will be crestfallen. Maybe he’ll even dump his girlfriend.

It doesn’t work. Maes announces, the next day, that he and Gracia are getting married.

Roy, in his office, slams the phone down onto his desk without hanging up.


End file.
